5 Friend Making Skills to Teach Your Kids

One of the most important life skills you can teach to your kids is the ability to make friends. A good friend can change everything for your child and open up avenues and learning opportunities that are otherwise closed. Unfortunately, most of us never learn the art of making a good friend. We are forced to learn through trial and error. Step in now while your child is small and start teaching him how to make friends and he will have a leg up on most.

Here are five friend making skills that your child can learn quickly and easily with your assistance:

The Ability to Reach out

Most children are scared to introduce themselves but are quick to welcome others that do. If your child is willing to reach out to others, she will be ahead of the curve. Just imagine how many more potential friends she will meet because she is willing to try first.

The Ability to Listen

It is a rare thing indeed to find a child that is willing to listen to their friends. You should begin now to teach your child listening skills. Even if those skills do not stick right away, they will have a lasting effect at a later date.

The Ability to Get Involved

Teach your child to join in and take part in teamwork activities. When your child is willing to join others in play or in work, they are far more likely to make plenty of friends. The ability to work alone is great but the ability to work as a team is even better. Encourage them to do both.

The Ability to Be Honest

Do you remember what it was like to be a child? I would be willing to bet that the friends you valued the most were the most honest ones. Children can relate to the concept of honesty at the youngest of ages and it is vital to begin stressing its importance at a very young age. Honesty will be extremely important to their friendships and their life at large.

The Ability to Love Equally

Unfortunately most children grow up with biases against others. Between television and the Internet, kids are exposed to the horrible ideas that are out there much too young. While policing these activities is certainly important, what is more important is to model the opposite behaviors. Your behaviors will be the blueprint for how they treat others as they grow older. Make sure that that blueprint includes everyone around you and that they know loving equally is the way to go.

Teaching our children to make friends is really not rocket science. In fact, many of the friend making skills mentioned above are skills that they will need to survive in life anyway. Spend some time sitting down with your children and sharing these ideas and the returns you will receive will be priceless.